Fighting Irish punch ticket to OFSAA
Basketball can certainly be a game of runs. This was never more apparent than during the second half of the senior girls Southern Ontario Secondary School Association (SOSSA) AAA basketball final between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the visiting A.N. Myer Marauders Thursday.
After watching Myer go on a 9-1 third quarter run to take 29-25 lead into the final frame, the Irish could not have found a better time to go on a run of their own. Notre Dame opened the fourth quarter on a 12-0 run leading to a 40-34 win, a SOSSA title and a trip to the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations championships.
Even though the Irish outscored Myer 15-6 in the final frame, co-coach Kristen Dean credited her team’s defence for the turnaround.
“We started to shut them down, specifically one of their best players, number 11 (Emma Vendittelli), and that gave us energy,” she noted. “And that led to better offence, better drives, better passing.”
Vendittelli finished the game with 13 points but was held off the scoresheet in the fourth quarter.
The Irish, led by Nicole Dixon, did a great job switching off of ball screens on her, and not allowing her to get to the rim as easily as she had in the first half.
“We really focused on our defence, high ball pressure and high energy,” Dixon said. “We really feed off of each other.”
Dixon was also aware of Vendittelli’s skill level and knew controlling her was not going to be an easy task.
“I have played with her and against her throughout my life and I know I have to try my hardest on D against her,” she said. “It’s really important to me if I can just help and make her work. We really focused on making her work, switching on the dribble hand-offs and making it hard for her. I know she’s a great player.”
Myer coach Kate Harpur didn’t overcomplicate things when it came to the fourth quarter drought. She did credit the Irish’s amped-up defence, but was also pleased with her team’s offence.
“We had great looks, unfortunately they just didn’t fall in the fourth quarter,” she said. “The girls did everything we could ask – we had great ball movement, great looks, all the Xs and Os we drew up on the board and the shots just didn’t fall.”
Watching Vendittelli play her last high school game was emotional for Harpur.
“You can’t say enough about Emma – she’s a workhorse. You ask her to go do something and she’s going to go do it,” she said. “I’ve be fortunate enough to coach her for four years now and she’s a big part of our program. She’s our leader and she always pushes everyone to be better.”
Members of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish: Dixon, Tina Muzah, Lila DiPietro, Ava Briggs, Lauryn Briggs, Ava DeChellis, Olivia Bittman, Kyra DiGaetano, Camilla Moscato, Elyse Carmichael, Abbey Grande.
Early in the day Notre Dame knocked off the Eden Flyers in one semifinal 61-30.
For Notre Dame: Moscato 16; DiPietro 11; Ava Briggs 10; Lauryn Briggs, DeChellis, Dixon 5; Carmichael 3; Grande, DiGaetano, Bittman 2.
For Eden: Kate Devries 16; Adali Cavvicha 10; Shorleigh Burrows, Adelaide Dearborn 2.
In the other semifinal, Myer knocked off Saltfleet 43-38.
For Myer: Vendittelli 15; Maia Walker 8; Ava Walker, Cook 6; Visscher 4; Sophia Kotsani 3.
STATS PACK
Irish 40 Marauders 34
Cat’s Caboose Player of the Game: Nicole Dixon with seven points and an outstanding defensive effort.
For Notre Dame: Moscato 12; DeChellis 11; Dixon, DiPietro 7; Lauryn Briggs 2, Ava Briggs 1.
For A.N. Myer: Vendittelli 13; Ava Walker 7; Maia Walker 6; Elizabeth Cook, Vianna Vischer 3; Sophia Kotsanis 2.
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